Republican candidate for governor Jeff Johnson and Democrat Tim Walz clashed over immigration on last night’s “Almanac” debate, the final one before the election. Walz said Republican policies “stoke fear of immigrants, stoke fear that you have to be worried in Minnesota.” Johnson responded, “Tim, you never answer questions, and here’s another example of that. This is a simple ‘yes’ or ‘no’ question: Do you think we should be a sanctuary state? You’ve said ‘yes’ before, but now we’re in front of a different audience and you won’t answer the question.” “It is not a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ question,” responded Walz. “Yes it is,” Johnson said. “Are you for being a sanctuary state or not?” “I’m for securing our communities and holding true to who we are,” Walz said. In the background Johnson can be heard saying, “You can’t answer the question.”
How to combat gun violence also sparked sharp debate. Republican Jeff Johnson blames family breakdown, mental health problems and media violence. Democrat Tim Walz asked, “So Parkland is everything but guns”:
Johnson: “No, Parkland’s not everything but guns. I never said any such thing.”
Walz: “So the gun piece of it does come into the discussion.”
Johnson: “I think we have to look at guns, obviously, but–”
Walz: “So we agree there.”
Johnson: “But you don’t look at anything else.”
Walz: “Well of course I do.”
Johnson: “Well, you didn’t before, when you took the N-R-A endorsement, but now that you’re proud of having your ‘F’, now it’s all about guns.”
Walz said he supports a statewide 15-dollar minimum wage. “I think we need to make sure we get to a living wage…. I think Minnesota’s moving in that direction,” he said. Johnson responded the *market* is moving that way, but government mandating a 15-dollar minimum wage, “It’s gonna hurt the people who we claim to want to help.”
The election is Tuesday.